Dynamic data delivery apparatus and method for same

ABSTRACT

A system for providing enhanced radio content to a remote user is disclosed. The system includes at least one input that receives non-radio input; and, at least one output interconnected to the at least one input via a hub, wherein the at least one output receives the enhanced radio content via the hub after at least one manipulation of the non-radio input by the hub to form the enhanced radio content, wherein the at least one manipulation is in accordance with the at least one non-radio input.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/074,469, filed on Mar. 8, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the delivery of informationand data, and more particularly, to a dynamic data delivery apparatusand a method for dynamic data delivery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As may be realized by those possessing an ordinary skill in thepertinent arts, there is a desire to deliver information to segmentedportions of the population, such as for advertising. For example, if acompany has developed a new product it may be beneficial to deliver newsabout the existence of the product to individuals who may need or wantto use such a product. Throughout history, mechanisms have beendeveloped to transmit such information to the desired segment of thepopulation, such as consumers. For example, print media provides a largescale delivery mechanism, radio provides a geographically localizedmedium, television provides an audio and visual medium with a possiblyglobal reach, and the internet provides a mechanism with global reach.Of these mechanisms, radio may provide the best delivery mechanism topopulation segments who may be otherwise distracted, such as byproviding an opportunity to reach a consumer when the consumer isdriving a car and sitting in traffic on a freeway, such as whilecommuting to or from work.

Generally, mass media may thus be categorized based upon, for example,coverage, content, presence, maintenance, adaptability prominence,viewer control, and cost. Each of these categories may be weighted indetermining the best way to advertise or transmit particular informationto the proper population segment, and each category may be manipulatedonce a delivery mechanism is selected. In accordance with this weightingand subsequent manipulation, coverage defines the area the mediumreaches, content refers to the amount and nature of the informationconveyed, presence refers to the accessibility of the information,maintenance refers to an assessment of keeping the message availableover time, adaptability refers to the quality based on how easy changesto the information may occur, prominence refers to how successfully theinformation may be delivered or displayed to particular segments, vieweror listener control refers to an assessment of content and timing ofinformation transmission, and cost is the price associated withproduction and transmission of the information.

When seeking to distribute information to consumers, distributionmethodologies are obviously limited to those that are technologicallyfeasible. As such, the introduction of new methodologies of deliveringinformation, generally, are welcomed additions and are utilized toprovide information to consumers. However, the development of newmethodologies has historically necessitated that entire delivery systemsbe overhauled to accommodate the new delivery mechanisms.

As is known to those possessing an ordinary skill in the pertinent arts,the FM broadcast band consists of that portion of the radio frequencyspectrum between 88 MHz and 108 MHz. It is divided into 100 channels of200 kHz each. The television broadcast band consists of that portion ofthe radio frequency spectrum between 54 MHz and 806 MHz. The televisionbroadcast is typically divided into 68 channels of 6 MHz each, with somegaps existing between channels. The AM broadcast band consists of thatportion of the radio frequency spectrum between 535 to 1705 kHz. The AMbroadcast band consists of 117 carrier frequencies assigned in 10 kHzsteps. While these broadcast regions are representative samples, thereare other regions of the radio frequency spectrum designated for otherspectral transmissions, such as cell phones, cordless phones, ShortMessage Service (SMS), satellite, and baby monitors, for example.

In addition, many population segments are spending a greater amount oftime outside of the home, such as in vehicles commuting to work. Asurban sprawl causes population expansions and individuals move fartherfrom the place of work or school, individuals spend more time commuting.As such, the increased time away from home, and particularly in avehicle, provides an increased opportunity to deliver information todesired population segments. Many states are looking or beginning to banthe use of cell phones while driving, which may further limit theresources one may use while in a vehicle and thereby provide increaseddelivery opportunities for non-banned delivery methods.

A need therefore exists for an apparatus, system, and method wherebyinformation may be delivered and/or displayed from one or more of aplurality of sources to a user/consumer, to thereby achieve greaterconnectivity to resources and information, and to thereby provideimproved marketing and increased connectivity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system for providing enhanced radio content to a remote user isdisclosed. The system includes at least one input that receivesnon-radio input; and, at least one output interconnected to the at leastone input via a hub, wherein the at least one output receives theenhanced radio content via the hub after at least one manipulation ofthe non-radio input by the hub to form the enhanced radio content,wherein the at least one manipulation is in accordance with the at leastone non-radio input.

Further, a system for providing at least one greeting with a broadcastutilizing a radio display is disclosed. The system includes an inputdata feed; a generated signal suitable for incorporation with the inputdata feed to form an incorporated signal, the generated signal includingthe at least one greeting formatted by a hub into a format compatiblewith the input data feed, and the generated signal including adirectionality for directing the incorporated signal to at least oneselected receiver that utilizes a radio display capable of displayingthe at least one greeting in a format of the incorporated signal; and,directionally outputting at least the generated signal to the at leastone selected receiver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Understanding of the present invention may be facilitated byconsideration of the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts, and:

FIG. 1 illustrates a pictorial representation of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a pictorial representation of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a representation of an embodiment of the system ofFIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a screen shot of a software embodiment of the hubaccording to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a screen shot of the entrance to the campaigncreation guide according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a screen shot of the general information screen usedfor the creation of a campaign;

FIG. 7 illustrates a screen shot of the scheduling screen used duringthe creation of a campaign;

FIG. 8 illustrates a screen shot of the content selection screen;

FIG. 9 illustrates a screen shot of the device creation screenassociated with the device tab of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 illustrates a general information window, which provides placesfor entry of information regarding the data of the device to be entered;

FIG. 11 illustrates a chip selection window which may be reached byselecting the next tab of the window shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 illustrates a data interfaces window, reached by selecting thenext tab of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 illustrates a screen shot of the window to select integration ofthe chipset information;

FIG. 14 illustrates the entry screen into the station tab;

FIG. 15 illustrates a screen shot encountered after selecting the nexttab of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 illustrates a screen shot suitable for accepting informationregarding the station selected as the broadcast;

FIG. 17 illustrates a fees sheet associated with the station of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 illustrates the entrance screen shot of the content tab of FIG.4;

FIG. 19 illustrates a screen shot of the screen used to provide fillablefiled associated with the content general information;

FIG. 20 illustrates a selection menu associated with the content type tobe entered;

FIG. 21A illustrates a screen shot of the screen reached when staticfile upload is selected from the menu of FIG. 20;

FIG. 21B illustrates a screen shot for file pulling of FIG. 20;

FIG. 21C illustrates a screen shot of the window reached when the pushselection of FIG. 20 is selected;

FIG. 21D illustrates a distribution list screen which may be reached byselecting the appropriate selection in FIG. 20;

FIG. 21E illustrates a query definition list screen which may be reachedby selecting the appropriate selection in FIG. 20;

FIG. 21F illustrates a database log definition screen which may bereached by selecting the appropriate selection in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 illustrates a screen shot of a content script window which maybe reached via the push or pull windows shown in FIGS. 21A and B via thewindow of FIG. 23 respectively;

FIG. 23 illustrates a screen shot of a window reached from the window ofFIG. 21B;

FIG. 24 illustrates a screen shot of the entry to user creation from thetab of FIG. 4;

FIG. 25 illustrates a general information window with fillable fieldsfor entering basic user information;

FIG. 26 illustrates a window of reached by clicking the next tab of FIG.25;

FIG. 27 illustrates a window for creating a report that may be reachedby the tab of FIG. 4;

FIG. 28 illustrates a window for selecting a report within the reportgenerator wizard entered through the window of FIG. 27; and,

FIG. 29 illustrates a specific embodiment of the system described withrespect to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the presentinvention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevantfor a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating,for the purpose of clarity, many other elements found in typical datadelivery components and methods of performing the same. Those ofordinary skill in the art may recognize that other elements and/or stepsare desirable and/or required in implementing the present invention.However, because such elements and steps are well known in the art, andbecause they do not facilitate a better understanding of the presentinvention, a discussion of such elements and steps is not providedherein. The disclosure herein is directed to all such variations andmodifications to such elements and methods known to those skilled in theart.

According to an aspect of the present invention spots, such as audiospots, text and data campaigns, may be dynamically targeted, deliveredand reported from a centralized hub network. As may be evident to thosepossessing an ordinary skill in the pertinent arts, a centralized hubarchitecture is described herein, while other architecture known tothose possessing and ordinary skill in the art may also be used.

The present invention may enable small and mid-sized radio groups toaggregate advertising inventory with other stations to create a nationaladvertising network. This technology may enable an intelligent costeffective national ad network. Entities who join a network may be ableto capture a greater portion of the national radio advertising marketthat currently is not captured at all or by the entity. Incrementalrevenue gain, by capturing national ad buys more efficiently, may permitradio stations to offer additional barter inventory to a company.According to an aspect of the present invention, and based on theinstalled base, the option may exist to provide national advertiserswith access to 3,500 stations to run national radio advertisingcampaigns.

The technology of the present invention may offer enhanced RadioAutomation Software solutions which may enable advertisers andbroadcasters greater flexibility and control. The present invention mayoffer a variety of improved features and functionality that may enable acompany to capture share of the national and regional advertising spend.

Such features and functionality may include the ability to launch newproducts such as real time reporting of ad campaigns and play lists andtargeted advertising opportunities. Enhanced reporting may also berealized, improving the current best case of weekly reporting to realtime reporting. Such improvements may allow for better management ofstations and more effective advertising. In addition, advertisers mayhave ad run verification and reporting never before available.

Another feature may include the real time which may enable advertisersto switch out an ad spot in real time thereby optimizing the return onad dollars spent.

Further functionality may include the use of conditional ad spots whichmay be tied to external factors affecting product promotion, such asweather for consumer beverages, concert promotions tied to song playlists, and competitive responses to ad campaigns run by a rival.

Further, according to an aspect of the present invention data servicesvia terrestrial broadcasting may be provided, such as a text messagingproduct, RadioGreetings.com, traffic and weather updates, new headlineand stock market live updates.

According to an aspect of the present invention, improved functionalitymay provide targeted advertising opportunities, such as geographic, timeof day and event driven advertising. By way of non-limiting exampleonly, a call center trigger may tie to an advertiser's call center andmay be set to not run a direct response spot if the advertiser's callcenter is over an agreed upon utilization rate.

In one aspect, the present invention may be utilized to provideoutsource data workflow management and wireless data delivery solutionsfor radio and television broadcasters, content and data serviceproviders, and hardware and device manufacturers, as well as to groupssimilarly situated.

In another aspect, the present invention may be utilized to enablebroadcasters and marketers to target and deliver audio and/or text-basedprogramming to devices that support or receive such information, such asRadio Data System (RDS)-enabled car receivers, and utilize databroadcasting, such as DAB or HD Radio.

In another aspect, the present invention may provide audio and/or textprogramming including, but not limited to, song and artist information,news, weather, traffic, station content, AMBER Alerts, andadvertisements, such that the text programming may be broadcast anddisplayed on a receiver, such as an RDS-enabled receiver.

In an exemplary embodiment of text delivery according to an aspect ofthe present invention, greetings may be delivered, for example, to oneor more radios. Such a delivery may enable consumers to create andbroadcast a completely custom text message, at a specified timeinterval, which message may be managed through a completely automatedand user-friendly interface.

The deliveries of the present invention may include providing a visualcomponent to radio. This visual component may enable broadcasters, suchas terrestrial FM broadcasters, and subsequently content and serviceproviders, to dynamically schedule, target, broadcast, and report ontext programming and advertising. Such scheduling, targeting,broadcasting, and reporting may preferably utilize the requiredprotocols to deliver such programming and advertising, such as utilizingthe Radio Data System (RDS) protocol, and the delivery may occur via atleast one broadcasting station or via multiple stations, eithersynchronously or asynchronously. The present invention may thus providea new consumer distribution vehicle for content and data serviceproviders.

The present invention, via the provision of the new distributionvehicle, may provide essential content and data management, and businesssupport services such as data format integration, data transformation,campaign scheduling, data (text) delivery, audio delivery and real-timereporting and analysis. The present invention may thereby enable contentand data service providers to plan, target, and deliver data and contentfiles seamlessly across coverage areas reaching, for example, more than15,000,000 people. The present invention may offer direct access to sucha coverage area network, such as through a multi-station network thatprovides wide reach, signal redundancy and pinpoint targeting. Thepresent invention may thus seamlessly support a myriad of deliverymethods, including radio delivery methods such as DAB (HD Radio) databroadcasting for both FM and AM stations. While the present descriptionsets forth the delivery of text or data messages specifically, thepresent invention is also directed toward providing audio messages aswell. In this regard, reference to a text or data message may includetherein a reference to audio messages.

Through the use of the present invention, a portion of the population,such as marketers and advertisers, may be provided with the ability tocommunicate with the consumer public directly, such as through the textdisplay of radio receivers. For example, advertisers may leverage thestrength of top FM radio stations to capture an audience, therebytransmitting the message of the advertiser, such as through a text-basedradio vehicle. Advertisers may promote a company, or one or moreproducts or services, to a large pool of targeted, format specificconsumers. An advertiser may, for example, create a text messagecampaign that may be broadcast and displayed on selected devices.

The present invention may, to enable such a message campaign, morespecifically provide packet-based, centralized Radio Data Service (RDS)management and data broadcasting. The present system may enablebroadcasters, such as FM radio broadcasters, and marketers todynamically schedule, target, deliver, and report on RDS data broadcastsacross one or multiple mechanisms, such as radio stations, all through auser-friendly desktop software. The present invention may allowbroadcasters and marketers to target and deliver subcarrier content toRDS-enabled car receivers. Information that may be provided by the RDSmethodology includes, by way of non-limiting example: playlistinformation, such as song title, artist, album, label; advertisements;weather; traffic; news; stocks; sport scores; station content; concertinformation; and, custom content, such as personalized greetings.

The present invention incorporates a user-friendly, desktop software,herein referred to as software or integrator, that may enable theintegration of content provision, forecasting and management ofavailable text inventory, schedules, campaigns, target devices andtarget groups, delivery of broadcasts, including text broadcasts, andefficient handling of reporting and billing, all from a personalcomputer.

As discussed hereinthroughout, single broadcast points, such asbroadcast stations or networks, may be employed to target the proper ordesired group or individual, and such delivery may be manipulated withinthe integrator. Further, scheduling may be utilized to increase theamount of data likely to reach the proper or desired destination.Tracking may be employed to determine that a text message was delivered,and further may be used to determine if desired results are beingachieved. These records may be auditable, and may be monitored inreal-time, and be monitored by a time-stamp, such as in minutes. A usermay, via the integrator, know what is scheduled to be delivered, what isavailable, and what is in the process of being delivered. This maypermit users to plan and manage to achieve maximum effectiveness andhighest value, such as by targeting by station, time, playlists, songs,audio spots, and a host of other targeting variables. When runningcampaigns, users may utilize insights gained from timely reports to, forexample, adjust schedules, target criteria, rotate ads or swap in adifferent ad in a small time window, such as in less than a few minutes,to thereby ensure that each campaign is tuned for maximum effectiveness.This may further enhance services by supporting multiple clients on asingle subcarrier band, and by providing campaign scheduling, data typesupport, such as text, images, software, raw data, Meta data, and audio,for example, and by providing delivery, tracking and reporting.

The present invention may also enable individual stations and broadcastnetworks to manage subcarrier bands, such as by providing data andcontent collection, campaign scheduling, targeting and reportingfunctions management, and by providing data delivery management softwareand servers, which may, in one embodiment, be located at each broadcaststation. With a distributed system architecture leveraging multiplesubcarrier bands, the present invention may offer scalability,reliability and the power needed to deliver any volume of data campaignsand services to any reachable user group.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a pictorial representation ofthe system according to an aspect of the present invention. As may beseen in FIG. 1, there is a relatively centrally located hub that iscapable of accepting inputs from a myriad of sources, and outputtinginformation to a myriad of sources. The information may be output to thesame sources that provided input information, or may output to a new setof outputs, or to some combination thereof. As may be seen, the outputsmay include broadcast media, such as radio, television, satellite,satellite via proxy over internet protocol, and cell phone, by way ofnon-limiting example only. Inputs may include news, sport, personalinformation, and play lists, for example, and inputs may come from amyriad of sources, such as telephonically or via computer. Further,inputs may include a feed from one of the outputs, such as in a feedback loop that may, in turn, effect the output that provided the initialinput. For example, the input may include a radio station input suchthat the hub may provide information related to this input feed, such asartist information and song information playing on a radio stationinput, for example. The hub may be configured to manipulate at least oneinput or a series of inputs, which inputs may be received simultaneouslyor over time, and the hub may parse the necessary information, whileoutputting at least one output based on the input information, and eachaction may occur in accordance with an initial user instruction.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a pictorial representation ofelements according to an aspect of the present invention. Specifically,there is shown a hub with inputs and outputs. Such inputs may includeinformation to be delivered, news, current events, play lists, requests,such as search requests, advertising, and heuristic, or feedback,information. Such outputs may include communicatively coupledconnections to devices, such as toys, radios, satellite communications,web browsers, and cell phones, using wired or wireless standards knownto those possessing an ordinary skill in the pertinent art.

The communication required from the hub may be determined based on thetype of device receiving the communication, or by the instructions inputto the hub via the inputs. For example, the outbound communication maytake the form of a CDMA broadcast with header. When the broadcastreaches the desired devices, the devices receive it and take actionbased on the broadcast based, in part, upon the header. Thus, the hub,upon sending the communication via the output, is aware of the necessaryheader information required to cause the receiving device to engage inthe desired action. Further, the hub may be informed via the input thatany device not responding may be queried again by the output a second ora pre-determined number of times, or may be continually queried until anacknowledgement response is received as an input. Thus, the hub mayprovide a feedback loop from outputs to inputs. Further, as illustratedin this example, the hub includes a flexible superset of logic thatanticipates responses, and that itself responds based upon both thereceived response and the anticipated responses to output from the hub.

Input via the inputs may include instructions and requests. Input maycome from a source, which source may be, for example, a network nodefeed, such as a network interface. Inputs may be user-operated, orautomated, or blended. For example, a user may enter a criteria to besearched for into the input, and the input may automatically search,such as via a predetermined internet search engine interface, for theinput search criteria at an input interval for searching.

Transmission via the outputs may occur on a primary carrier to thetargeted devices or devices, or on the sub carriers to the targeteddevice, as necessary and as known to those possessing an ordinary skillin the pertinent arts. When utilizing both the primary and sub carrierbands, the same information may be placed on each to provide forredundancy and robustness of the probability of receipt by the targeteddevice or devices, or alternatively different information may beoverlayed on each of the primary and sub carrier bands.

The hub may include a series of layers, which layers may include anintegrator as discussed hereinabove, and, within or in association withthe integrator, a business layer, and, within or associated with thebusiness layer, a transport layer. The integrator preferably integratesall functionality as input at the inputs, such as by a user, with theaction desired to be taken, and with the outputs.

The business layer preferably processes data, such as data requestedfrom the inputs by the integrator. The business layer may consist of oneor more scripts, which may be accessible from the hub, or which may beentered via one or more of the inputs to the hub, which scripts mayoperate on one or more incoming data items to manipulate those one ormore data items for handoff to one or more data transport mechanismswithin the transport layer for output from one or more outputs. Thus,the business layer may algorithmically process a single or multipleoutput requests from at least one input into multiple deliverable datasets, deliverable via one or multiple end points having one or multipleprotocols. Once the business layer has completed processing the data,information incorporating both the data and the processed informationmay be provided to the selected transport mechanism of the transportlayer, such as XML, for example. The desired information, such as thedesired message, may then be delivered to an output, such as a radiostation, and may be delivered, such as via the station, to the targetedparty. Further, for example, the output frequency for the particularoutput from the transport layer may be selected in accordance with theapplication of the logic in the business layer in accordance with theinstructions from the input.

Thus, in an exemplary embodiment related to FIG. 2, a station may be abroadcast point, and hence may be available from within the transportlayer. A station may thus be a gateway to a broadcast, and a gateway maybe included, as an output within the transport layer, in the definitionof the station. A station definition may include one or more numerousdelivery mechanisms via the gateway, such as, FM, AM, internet, SMS andsatellite, for example. Each of these mechanisms may have specificdelivery requirements, as is known to those possessing an ordinary skillin the pertinent arts, which requirements are known by the hub. Forexample, when utilizing delivery via the internet, internet protocolsmust be followed and the message may be proxied. Further, an internettransmission may be specified in analog and high definition, such as byspecifying the domain. The information may be transmitted simultaneouslyover more than one gateway, as a redundant delivery mechanism ensures anincreased success rate of delivery as is known to those possessing anordinary skill in the pertinent arts. While gateways may be internetbased, gateways need not be. Gateways may also be private or public, andthus may be associated in the hub with a variety of security levels.Data may be delivered via the gateway based on all specified criteria,wherein recipient is a proxy for the criteria.

For example, if a radio based transmission is selected, it may benecessary within the hub to account for different degrees of coverage ofthe transmitted signal. Additionally, because the delivery mechanisminstructed for use is a radio transmission, the delivered data may beshipped on a sub-carrier channel if selected or desired. This may, forexample, be performed by setting the data for a 1 Kb/s transmission ratethrough the output, and encoding the signal on the channel signal offset57 kHz from the center frequency of the radio station band targeted forbroadcast. The data may be modulated 57 kHz off center of the FMbroadcast channel from the gateway, for example.

This exemplary transmission mechanism through the transport layer from agateway via the output, while employable in the United States, may notbe as simplistically employable in other countries. For example, theoutput wattage of radio stations in Europe is known to be significantlysmaller. Therefore, it may be necessary to echo the transmission viamultiple broadcast points to ensure successful transmission and receipt,and such a necessity is anticipated by the hub, such as by monitoring atarget location or time for the outbound communication. This echoing mayalso be performed in the united States to ensure more frequentsuccessful delivery, and hence may be varied by the hub in accordancewith a target success probability. In order to account for such alimitation, a repeater may be necessary within the transport layer, asmay be multiple simulcast points. In such an embodiment, the repeatermay preferably be TCP/IP enabled, to thereby more simplisticallycommunicate with the hub and the target device.

For example, in a multiple simulcast environment, frequent channelchanging may be needed as a recipient moves through multipleenvironments. As is known to those possessing an ordinary skill in thepertinent arts, radiocarriers frequently ship daughter bands onsub-channels of the main band. When transmitting data according to anaspect of the present invention, it may be desirable to repeatedlydetermine if the daughter band signal is stronger as the desiredrecipient moves through numerous environments. If the daughter band isstronger, the data may be delivered on the daughter band instead of theconventional main band signal. Further, as the recipient moves, thebroadcast from the transport layer of the hub may be available only ondifferent ones of the multi-simulcast stations, and no longer availableon the main band or its daughter bands. In such embodiments, forexample, and RDS radio may receive from the hub an 8 character RDSdisplay displaying text in accordance with station being received,rather than of the frequency of the station being received. In such anembodiment, all main bands and daughter bands corresponding to each ofthe multi-simulcast stations may cause to be displayed the same 8character message. In such an embodiment, the radio may thereby track,such as on a subcarrier channel, the frequencies to which the RDS radiomust be switched in order to maintain receipt of the broadcast desired,by tracking the message being broadcast for tracking, and, as the same 8character text would be displayed even in the event that the radioswitched to a daughter band or another of the multi-simulcast bands, theradio listener would not be disturbed by display of ever changingfrequencies. Thus, the 8 character text data may be transmittedsimultaneously on all transmissions by the same multi-simulcast, andthereby the need for undesirable channel-changing, or ever-changingdisplay of automatically changing channels, to maintain data receiptwould be eliminated.

Thus, in the exemplary embodiment of an RDS radio, the present inventionmay make particular use of sub-channels or multi-simulcast points. Forexample, each main band may have a data group that may be received by anRDS radio associated with each of its sub-bands, which sub-bands for AMand FM radio are discussed hereinabove. Sub-band 15, for example, forany given station may provide data of 64 bytes scrolling text across areceiving RDS radio. Thus, a desired message may be entered via an inputto the hub, sent via an output for broadcast, be broadcast for receipton sub-band 15 of a particular station as scrolling text, and allRDS-enabled listeners of sub-band 15 on that station may thereby receivethe desired scrolling message across the RDS radio.

Alternatively, due to unique identifiability of RDS radios, such as viaidentification chips resident within each radio, only particularvehicles may be targeted with the input message by the output, in anembodiment wherein the hub has access to translate a target input to thehub to a particular radio identification. For example, if the data groupof sub-band 8 is unused in a typical RDS embodiment, the targetidentification may be broadcast on sub-band 8, and the desired messagefor that target may be broadcast on sub-band 15. Consequently, uponreceipt of the message on sub-band 8 by the identified radio, that radiomay be instructed by the sub-band 8 message to display the message beingreceived on sub-band 15. As may be apparent to those skilled in the art,such an exemplary embodiment may be employed with respect to anyrecipients using any device capable of receiving signals on multiplefrequencies. That is, recipients using any such devices may receiveuniquely directed messages to monitor a particular other messageoutgoing from the hub, and all recipients not so-instructed by theuniquely directed message may ignore both messages. In such anembodiment, a user may enter, via one of the inputs, to the hub adesired message, a time or times for repeated broadcast, an outputmethodology, and/or a specific recipient. The hub, such as within thebusiness layer, then makes the decision of how to format the broadcast,such as targeting the specified user on sub-band 8 and broadcasting themessage on sub-band 15 of the entered radio station in the enteredgeographic area in the above example, and sends the necessaryinformation outbound through the outputs via the transport layer.

Thereby, the hub defines the workflow of the system. Multipleembodiments of the presentation of the hub are possible and need not bedescribed in detail herein. The present invention may include, withinthe hub, the integrator in the form of, for example, a managementsoftware integrated as part of the hub, which management software may bebased on a user-friendly, desktop program that enables the easyscheduling and managing of text campaigns, creation of compelling textprogramming, managing of available inventory, and efficient handling ofreporting and billing. Such a management scheme may be resident on apersonal computer or a handheld device, or may be remotely available viaconnection to a network, such as by wired or wireless methodologies.

As may be realized by those possessing an ordinary skill in thepertinent arts, a request received at an input, such as from a browseror other input device, may activate the hub. Once the hub is activated,numerous task must be performed in a tightly time constrained period,such as 60 ms in an embodiment wherein an ad is to be selected aninserted on a web page being output from the hub for broadcast from theoutputs to a targeted party, for example. This speed necessity, andrequirement for multiple layers of backup computing, may requirenumerous servers to be resident to perform the necessary computing ofthe hub.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a representation of anembodiment of the system of FIGS. 1 and 2. This embodiment sets forththe steps that the hub may perform in controlling the system accordingto an aspect of the present invention. As may be seen in FIG. 3, the hubmay receive information from at least one of the myriad of inputs. Thehub may manipulate or process this received information in one or moreof the layers of the hub. The hub may then output the processedinformation to at least one of the myriad of outputs. Further, the logicresident within the layers of the hub may decide, based on the inputmessage and desired delivery mechanisms, the message and transmissionformatting, repetition, and timing, for example. The manipulation orprocessing performed by the hub is further described hereinbelow.

With respect to the discussion of the figures hereinthoughout, it may beunderstood by those skilled in the pertinent art that the numerousselection mechanisms illustrated and screen designs employed areexemplary only, and hence may be interchangeable. For example, the termsselect, click, double click, and the like are interchangeable termsrelating to methods of user selections. Further, the terms button, tab,menu, tree, and the like are interchangeable terms relating to methodsof displaying information for selection by the user.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a screen shot of a softwareembodiment of the hub according to an aspect of the present invention,accessible via an input according to an aspect of the present invention.As is shown in FIG. 4, a split screen may be utilized. Such a splitscreen may illustrate virtual networks representing the highest level ofthe hub layers. As may be seen, various selections may be made fromwithin the highest level of the hub, such as campaigns, devices,stations, content, users, and reports. Of note, a particular user may,for example, enter the highest level of the hub by entry of user-relatedinformation, such as a user name and a password, which user-relatedinformation may be permanently stored in a database associated with hub,and which user-related information may be corresponded within thatdatabase with a security access level. Only those highest level optionsavailable at that security level may then be displayed to that user uponlogin. In other words, the acceptable actions by each registered user ofthe system are stored in a database associated with the hub bycorresponding an access level to each user in the database. Thereby, ahub administrator, or an external party administrator, may allow forcreation of, or create, users with differing permission access levels,such as for access to each highest level virtual network, and/or to eachsub-network within each highest level network. Also, as illustrated withrespect to FIG. 4 and hereinthroughout, in a preferred embodiment, thepresent invention is “wizard” driven, wherein a user need not beexperienced with creation of particular outgoing communication types,but rather need only know what message is desired to be sent, how often,via what mechanisms, and to whom.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown the screen shot of the entry toa campaign creation according to an aspect of the present invention. Asmay be seen in FIG. 5, campaigns may be selected, for example, for acontent distribution, basic RDS delivery, simple messages, artistmatching, ad matching, and/or radio greetings. The user may select oneor more of the delivery mechanisms, and may then click the next buttonto move to the next window.

Transactions may be built in, or may access, another environment, suchas e-Bay or Google, for example, thereby reducing the speed dependenceand multiple interaction point dependence of a user of the presentinvention. For example, a user, via an input to the hub, may request themonitoring of the internet for a particular communication item, such asan auction item or an article regarding a particular subject. The hubmay monitor, such as via an external engine such as eBay or Google, forthe particular communication item instructed by the user in the input,and, upon locating the particular information item, the hub may takeaction via the outputs. For example, the hub may place a bid in anauction at a predetermined price or time, or may send a comment on anarticle or download the article. Further, the hub may engageasynchronous requests, such as wherein a first user may make a requestfor information, and the information, once located, may be sent to asecond party.

The business layer, as discussed hereinabove, may take the form of onephase or multiple phases and is entrusted with preparing information fordelivery. The information in the example immediately hereinaboverequesting an auction bid of less than $250 for auction item AA atauction locations X, Y, or Z to be bid at less than 1 minute remainingin the auction of item AA may be entered from the input into thebusiness layer, and a script may be run monitoring for the desiredauction at the desired price within a predetermined time constraint,such as a user-clicked option selection of “Do not bid until auctiontime remaining<1 minute” (the user may, for example, be provided with alimited number of such options to select from), and, upon location ofsuch an auction this information may be output from the business layerto the delivery mechanism for delivery to the auction site. The scriptmay specify data delivery points and the protocols necessary to achieveproper delivery. For example, multiple data to multiple end points viamultiple protocols, such as to multiple different auction sites, may bedecided in response to single request. Further, an additional feedbackloop with respect to the business layer may be created in order toprevent delivery from being the end point of the process. The data orinformation generated by the delivery mechanism may thereby be furtherutilized by sending it back to the business layer for reprocessing. Forexample, the placement of the bid by the output in the above example maycause the generation of an “outbid notice”, informing that the user hasbeen outbid, from the auction site. In such a case, the input of theoutbid notice may be received at the input, may have a business layerscript applied to that input, which may cause a new output, such as theraising of the original bid.

A campaign from the business layer may take the form, for example, ofdisplaying a particular script on a radio receiving a broadcast from afirst channel that radio channel broadcasts a given artist or particularsong, such as on an RDS radio. The user may develop such a campaign byselection of predetermined elements from a template provided to the userat the input via the wizard, thereby requiring no specific knowledgefrom the user regarding specific delivery mechanisms. Further, acampaign may be based on selected content, wherein the content of themessage correlates with content on the radio, for example, or a campaignmay include content based on location of a recipient, for example. Acampaign may be targeted across frequency or across networks, or both,for example, and content of the campaign may be varied to a desireddegree as between delivery networks, for example. Additionally, multiplenetworks may be delivered based on a single advertiser campaign, forexample. Thereby, decision makers, such as advertisers, may selecttransmission by weighing promotions within particular campaigns, or asbetween multiple campaigns by that decision maker, and by leveraging thedelivery of those promotions to obtain the highest desired effect.

As an additional example, a campaign may be input from a single source,and may be sent via the outputs to multiple sources, such as in the formof any devices capable of receiving the campaign. For example, achildren's television character, herein referred to as “Fluffy”, mayhave associated therewith a plurality of toys, including, for example,plush dolls, poseable figurines, playsets, books, and the like, as maybe apparent to those skilled in the art. Further, each of those toys mayhave an interactivity capability, such as the capability to speak to achild in the voice of Fluffy. Further, each of those toys may includethe capability to receive, for example, radio broadcasts, or cellulartelephone broadcasts. In such an exemplary embodiment, the user may, viathe input, enter a campaign to the hub, wherein the campaign include amessage regarding a new movie starring Fluffy. That campaign may then besent from the output from the hub via the desired delivery mechanism,namely a radio broadcast or cellular broadcast, to the toys. Thereby,each toy may receive the campaign message via its appropriate receivingmechanism, and the campaign may be output from all necessarymulti-simulcast points and mechanisms, and at necessary or desiredrepetition or redundancy levels, to ensure delivery to all desireddevices.

Campaign metrics may created within each step of the campaign wizard,such as, for example, the demographic of a listening audience may beassessed based on the type of music played by a radio station. Alsoincluded in a metric may be the strength of the signal of the assessedbroadcast, and the population coverage that is resultant therefrom.These metrics may be thereby used to determine market penetration.Further, these metrics may draw on additional needed information tocalculate the metrics, such as by automatically accessing an informationstore, or time stamp, from an accessible internet site to allow for thecalculation of the metric. Thereby, user input information, andautomatically accessed information, may be merged to provide thenecessary metric. Using campaign metrics, a weighted advertisingcampaign may succeed in achieving a certain market penetration.

Such campaign metrics may allow, for example, for pricing variability toallow for maximization of profit. For example, advertisement or personalgreeting campaigns that are input to the hub may be charged according tothe popularity of each station, by time of day, by desirability of theassessed target market segment of each station, by date, or the like.This may allow, for example, an advertiser to bid different rates forthe same ad blocks on different stations, or at different times of day,via a single input from the advertiser, and have those bids go out thedesired multiple outputs from the hub in accordance with the campaign.Further, the stations that sell and provide the ads to consumers mayenter variable pricing input of minimum acceptable pricing for, forexample, times of day or audience type. Thereby, corporate revenueinformation may be provided via the present invention, in real time, forall sides of a transaction, such as an advertising transaction. Morespecifically, for example, an advertiser may enter variables at thecampaign input for the campaign to be sent, such as assessing playlistcontent for four particular radio stations over 14 days, via thecampaign, sending that information back to an additional aspect of thecampaign, and having that additional aspect of the campaign insert thename, such as on a cell phone or RDS radio, of each one of the threeartists found most often in the 14 day playlist when that artist isplayed by each of those four stations, and having the cell phone or RDSradio scroll upcoming concert information sponsored by that advertiserfor that artist upon display of the name of that artist. Upon entry ofthe campaign to the input to the hub, the advertiser would have inputthe target devices for the campaign, and the metrics desired to selectthe artists and the stations. Further, based on the metrics, theadvertiser may best allot limited resources, such as targeting a $10,000buy to those four stations based on the number of times the concertinformation is displayed. Thereby, corporate revenue is tracked in realtime, and a single campaign may automatically build other campaignsand/or campaign aspects.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a screen shot of a generalinformation screen used for the creation of a campaign. Basicinformation may be input by a user, such as the name of the campaign, adescription of the campaign, and a class of the campaign. Upon enteringthis information, the user may click on the “next” button to enter andsave the information and move to the next window.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a screen shot of a schedulingscreen used during the creation of a campaign. As may be seen in FIG. 7,the beginning and ending dates of the campaign may be entered.Specifically, the day of the week desired for delivery, the startingdate of delivery, and the stopping date of the campaign may beidentified. Once these parameters are entered, the user may selected the“next” tab in order to enter the information and move to the next layer,wherein the content for delivery may be selected.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a screen shot of a contentselection screen. This window may provide an option of available contentto be selected for delivery. This content, as may be describedhereinbelow, may be created by utilizing the content selection tab ofFIG. 4, for example.

Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown a screen shot of a devicecreation screen associated with the device tab of FIG. 4. This selectionmay enable a user to step through the identification of a targeteddevice or devices according to an aspect of the present invention.Specifically, the user may be able to define ownership of a device,describe the device, target parameters of the device, includingsupported data types, and determine permissions for the device, forexample. Each of the targeted devices may have associated therewithparticular software or hardware communication aspects, certain of whichmay be selected from a screen similar to that of FIG. 9. For example, inorder to insure delivery of a message to the appropriate device, arepeater may communicate with the hub. Therefor, a repeater box with aTCP/IP connection may be associated with the hub, for example.

For example, if the user elects to deliver a message to a radiobroadcast, the user may select the desired station information.Depending on the length of the message, the hub may determine the timeof the block needed to convey the appropriate amount of information. Forexample, if there is a message which corresponds to a 60 second datablock, the radio broadcast may have a rate associate with it, therebyallowing a determination to be made on how to send the information toeffect the appropriate data block. This may further be achieved byincluding, such as within or associated with a screen such as that ofFIG. 9, an interactive rate card. Such a card may be fully or partiallyinteractive, and, as may be apparent to those skilled in the art, may beavailable via a PC, or may be a physical card.

Device types which may be selectable via a screen similar to that ofFIG. 9, and hence that may be utilized in the present invention, mayinclude, by way of non-limiting example only, devices such as cellphones, television, radio, satellite, internet, PDAs and combinationsthereof. Those devices may include or contain, for example, devicescontaining HD chip sets, such a IBIQUITY RADIO, Palm Pilot or the likeoperating systems, DDAs such as iBiz and Pocket Radio, and RDS radiochip sets, by way of non-limiting example only. With respect to certainof these devices, it may be advantageous for the devices, or the huboutputs, to lock in via an auto-scan mechanism. For example, a devicemay continuously, or at predetermined intervals, monitor the hub outputsfor campaign information. In a more specific exemplary embodiment for anRDS side band, it may be beneficial for devices to lock in byauto-scanning, thereby enabling multiple devices to latch onto the samestation.

The use of several of these exemplary devices with the present inventionis illustrated in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 9-13. The devicesetup allowed by the exemplary figures provided herein may provide auser the opportunity to enter information regarding a device, such as,but not limited to, chip set type and chip set identification, as wellas network identification, if desired or necessary by or from the user.However, default values may additionally be readily available to aninexperienced user, or, alternatively, one or more campaigns may beautomatically generated that access the necessary information, such asvia the internet, that return the necessary information to the inputs,and that allow for the necessary manipulation of the user-developedcampaign at the hub.

Such ready assessment of necessary information may allow for simplisticre-assessment of developed campaigns. For example, if station KAAA isnetworks 5, 7, and 9 upon entry of the campaign, but network 9 iseliminated, such as by sale of network 9 by KAAA, the present inventionprovides adjustment of campaigns dependent on the status of network 9 asKAAA accordingly.

Further, the use of the present invention, including the assessment ofcommunication formats and changes and updates to those formats, for theplurality of devices served by the present invention, provides improvedsuccess rates in the targeting of campaigns. For example, whentransmitting information to a device, it may be necessary to incorporatethe information into a format that the device is able to accept andutilize. While many formats may be utilized by many different devices,as is known to those possessing an ordinary skill in the pertinent arts,hereinbelow there is provided an exemplary embodiment of a handshakingbetween a device and a transmission. For example, a device may expect orwait to receive a prefix, which may trigger the device to beginlistening for further information. The prefix may be followed by aheader. This header may provide information to the device which thedevice may use to determine what form the remaining transmission takes.The header may be followed by the information data for the interface tothat device, for example a weather receiver interface, thereby settingthe device to the appropriate setting for receipt of the specific datato follow. Following the setting may be the actual information for thedevice to display or transmit. The format of the prefix, header,interface, or message information may intermittently be updated, varied,or changed. Such variations are readily handled via the use of thepresent invention.

Upon selection of the “next” tab in FIG. 9, the user may reach thescreen shot illustrated in FIG. 10. Referring now to FIG. 10, there isshown a general information window, which provides places for entry ofinformation regarding the data of the device to be entered. As may beseen, a place for entry of the name, description, and keywords, as wellas the device type, may be provided. After the proper data is entered ineach field, the “next” tab may be selected.

Referring now to FIG. 11, there is shown a chip selection window whichmay be reached by selecting the “next” tab of the window shown in FIG.10. As may be seen in FIG. 11, the type of device may be selected andthe chip code may be entered, thereby allowing communication directly tothe device described. An alternative mechanism for entry of thisinformation may be provided by recording information, such as the RDSchipset identification and the VIN# into which that chipset is placed,and the linking of that information to the sale of a vehicle and thename of the buyer, for example. In such an embodiment, a campaign may beautomatically run from the hub to assess and update this sale of vehicleinformation at predetermined intervals. For example, if it is known thata chip with a given serial number is placed in a certain vehicle, thesales records may be monitored to determine to whom the car is sold.Upon this sale, the information may be entered into the system, therebyeliminating the need for the user to enter anything other than the nameof the party to whom the user wishes to target the campaign.

Referring now to FIG. 12, there is shown a data interface window,reached by selecting the “next” tab of FIG. 11. This window may acceptinformation relative to the device such as the capability and protocolinformation, and specifically what type of data the device may accept.Additionally, referring now to FIG. 13, there is shown a screen shot ofa window to select integration of the chipset information. This mayprovide the user with the information to enable third part applicationintegration of the chip.

Referring now to FIG. 14, there is shown an entry screen into a stationtab. As may be seen, multiple broadcast types may be deployed, such asFM radio in both analog and HD formats, AM radio, internet, and SMS. Asmay be seen in FIGS. 15-17, a broadcast may be developed to be deployedto certain of these various devices. Referring now specifically to FIG.15, there is shown a screen shot encountered after selecting the “next”tab of FIG. 14. FIG. 15 provides fields for entry of information relatedto the broadcast such as name, description and keywords. Upon selectionof the “next” tab, FIG. 16 may appear.

Referring now to FIG. 16, there is shown a screen shot for acceptinginformation regarding the station selected as the broadcast. Such dataas the call letters, frequency, PS, program type and program type namemay be entered. Upon entry of data into these fields and selection ofthe “next” tab, the window of FIG. 17 may appear.

Referring now to FIG. 17, there is shown a fees sheet associated withthe station of FIG. 16. The user may determine the structure of feeswith respect to delivery of information related to this channel. Suchfees may include temporarily based delivery and exclusivity fees, forexample.

Referring now to FIG. 18, there is shown an entrance screen of thecontent tab of FIG. 4. As may be seen on FIG. 18, the content wizard maybe used to define the ownership, description, expiration, data type,pricing and permission of particular content, for example. As may beseen, the content layer is preferably wizard based and may shareinformation with billing or revenue tracking, including externalapplication exportation for revenue tracking if selected by the user.The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 18 is designed for a radiotransmission to a car, but alternative embodiments may be readilyunderstood by those possessing an ordinary skill in the pertinent arts.

The data type to be pushed over the network is determined within screenssuch as those discussed hereinabove. For example, this determination maybe made based on the type of device that the transmission is beingdelivered to, or based on other reasons apparent to those possessing anordinary skill in the pertinent arts. For example, data may be pushed toa URL address, or email account, with the caveat that utilizing such adestination may necessarily limit the amount of data that may be pushedto those destinations because of allowable file size or otherconstraints.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a data feed may be usedas an input to the hub, such as to identify what is playing and when ona radio station. Such a data feed may be used to identify songs,including artist, album information, and song title, by way ofnon-limiting example only. These data feeds may further identifyadvertisements, such as by identifying that an advertisement is playingand any pertinent information relevant to the advertisement. Other typesof data may be identified through the use of a data feed, as may beunderstood by those possessing an ordinary skill in the pertinent arts.

In order to incorporate external data feeds, such as to view a radiostation web site to assess the playlist, and incorporate albuminformation from a third-party web site upon assessment of the artistthen being played according to the station web site, the presentinvention preferably includes a normalization engine. For example, in anexemplary embodiment of the present invention, all data incoming andoutgoing may be normalized within the business layer to a uniformformat, such as XML. Thereby, all input data from any source, includingvoice, internet protocol, text, and the like, may be converted to XML.Further, all data output as a campaign from the hub to the outputs afterthe business logic has run may be output as XML and converted to theoutbound device format by the output interface. Thereby, any data may beexported, such as for editing, scripting for action, assessment of testscripts and campaigns, or viewing in third party application software,from the hub. Both inputs and outputs from within the hub may thus besimplistically viewed as a string of a uniform data format, such as XML.

Referring now to FIG. 19, there is shown a screen shot of the screenused to provide a fillable file associated with the content generalinformation.

Referring now to FIG. 20, there is shown a selection menu associatedwith the content type to be entered. This provides an option to selectthe type of data, such as XML or binary, for example. Further, aselection may be to upload a file, pull a file, push a file, create adistribution list, query to retrieve content based on a key, or createdatabase log definition, as may be seen in FIGS. 21A-F, respectively.

As discussed hereinthroughout, the present invention may be designed toreceive or accept data from a multitude of sources, as may be morespecifically seen in FIG. 20. The system may accept data in any of aplurality of acceptable formats, which acceptable formats may, in turn,be normalized for application in the business layer, as discussedhereinabove. For example, a network may be created for the transfer ofinformation. Within this network, an interface may be created to allowthe user to enter information. This interface may include email, forexample, wherein the data may be in comma separated variable (CSV)format, for example. As is known to those possessing an ordinary skillin the pertinent arts, CSV may be data in a comma delimited format. Thesystem may share data with the established network, and data from a usermay be returned by email, for example.

Thus, data received from the multitude of sources in different formatsmay be independently interpreted from each source and standardized. Forexample, the system may access a HTML webpage, pick the desired data,and convert to XML format for input to the logic of the business layer.Further, in the course of normalization, data may be filtered. Thisapproach to data interpretation and importation may permit a broaderuser base. For example, police stations may be able to send data withoutchanging or manipulating dispatching, or dispatch program managementsoftware. Each different police format may be received, standardized,and prepared for manipulation. As may be apparent to those skilled inthe art, the present invention may thereby provide greatly improved 911response, for example, by provision of a capability for a single sourceinput in a first format, normalization of that format, and outputting ofan emergency response campaign to multiple broadcast points withoutregard for the formatting required by the recipient of the campaign, tothereby allow for dispatch of the most readily available responsepersonal in response to the initial single source response request.Further, such an embodiment may provide an example of the brokering ofbusiness logic. For example, a first user may take a first data set,manipulate that first data set, and create content, and may send thatcontent to a second user, who may then manipulate the first content withadditional content, and output new content. In the specific 911 example,a first user may input first data, which a campaign may normalize andmanipulate and send to police, fire, and ambulance personnel. The firepersonnel may then add new content to the received content, such as“hazardous chemicals located at fire location”, and that new content maybe re-broadcast to police and ambulance, and broadcast to chemicalresponse teams.

Action on transformed data may be incorporated into a workflow, such asin a workflow markup language (WFML). According to an aspect of thepresent invention, a document or an input may be parsed, for example,and an application wizard may define, or may allow user definition of, aparsing script. Further, other defined aspects of information may bereceived or defined. For example, data may be received in a synchronousor asynchronous fashion. Synchronous may be defined as data receivedfrom a source in which the method of communication, such as a socket,for example, remains open. This open communication may allow data to bedelivered directly to and from this source.

Referring now to FIGS. 21A-F, there are shown screen shots of windowsthat may be reached by selecting the various options in FIG. 20. In FIG.21A, there is shown a screen shot of a screen reached when static fileupload is selected from the menu of FIG. 20. As may be seen, thisprovides the necessary interface to upload data to the system repositoryby searching and selecting a file from a network, local, or otherwiseaccessible drive of a computer.

In FIG. 21B, there is shown a screen shot for file pulling of FIG. 20.This screen, as shown, provides options and parameters to specify a URL,protocol or authentication information, to enable the system toautomatically retrieve information for specified locations. When data ispulled, the system may define or determine when to access and pull data,and from which location to do so, and how often to pull the data.

In FIG. 21C, there is shown a screen shot of the window reached when thepush selection of FIG. 20 is selected. As may be seen in FIG. 21C, theremay be fillable fields to provide information to the system for pushingfiles, such as protocol, URL, and other access information. Entry of theinformation into these fields may enable the system to push informationto this location.

In FIG. 21D, there is shown a distribution list screen which may bereached by selecting the appropriate selection in FIG. 20. In thiswindow, a user may enter information as a internet distribution list inorder to send messages to a group of people via the internet, forexample. As discussed hereinthroughout, any list format may be accepted.

In FIG. 21E, there is shown a query definition list screen which may bereached by selecting the appropriate selection in FIG. 20. In thiswindow, a user may enter information as a query definition list to beutilized by the system.

In FIG. 21F, there is shown a database log definition screen which maybe reached by selecting the appropriate selection in FIG. 20. In thiswindow, a user may enter information as a database log definition inorder to give the system access to a resident database with appropriatecontact information.

Referring now to FIG. 22, there is shown a screen shot of a contentscript window which may be reached via the push or pull windows shown inFIGS. 21A and B, via the window of FIG. 23, respectively. This windowprovides the user the opportunity to specify how the system data, i.e.campaign information, may be transformed prior to being delivered to thedevice. As may be seen in FIG. 22, XSL, Python, and VSA VB may beselected. As may be known in the art, XSL refers to Extensible StyleLanguage, a specification for separating style from content whencreating HTML or XML pages. The specifications may work as templates,allowing designers to apply single style documents to multiple pages.Other style specifications may include Cascading Style Sheets (CSS),which is similar to XSL but does not include two of XSL'sfeatures—namely allowing developers to dictate the way Web pages areprinted, and specifications allowing the transference of XML documentsacross different applications. Python is an interpreted, object-orientedprogramming language. Python is similar to GNU, and is very portablesince Python interpreters are available for most operating systemplatforms. VSA VB, also referred to as RAD, refers to the programminglanguage and environment developed by Microsoft, which is based on theBASIC language. Visual Basic was one of the first products to provide agraphical programming environment and a paint metaphor for developinguser interfaces. The Visual Basic programmer may add a substantialamount of code simply by dragging and dropping controls, such as buttonsand dialog boxes, and then defining the appearance and behavior thereof.Although not a strict object-oriented programming language, Visual Basicnevertheless has an object-oriented philosophy. It is an event-drivenlanguage because each object may react to different events, such as amouse click. Other programming languages may include C, C++, Pascal, andJava, for example.

Referring now to FIG. 23, there is shown a screen shot of a windowreached from the window of FIG. 21B. As may be seen in FIG. 23, the usermay enter refresh and availability dates, thereby providing thenecessary information to the system for the system to properly mine thedata.

Referring now to FIG. 24, there is shown a screen shot of an entry touser creation from the tab of FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 24, this wizardmay be utilized to create a user to use the application and specify theparameters of the user's use. The user's access in the hub may belimited only to those networks necessary, as discussed hereinabove. Theuser's access may be limited as defined. Users may also have differentlevels of permission.

After clicking the next tab of the window depicted in FIG. 24, thewindow depicted in FIG. 25 may be reached. Referring to FIG. 25, thereis shown a general information window with fillable fields for enteringbasic user information. As may be seen in FIG. 25, the name, user,password, and description may be entered.

Referring now to FIG. 26, there is shown a window reached by clickingthe next tab of FIG. 25. In this window, the user may enter thepermission information of a newly created user. Permissions unavailablemay be seen in the excluded permission section, and may be selected andmoved to included permissions as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 27, there is shown a window for creating a reportthat may be reached by the tab of FIG. 4. This window is the gateway tothe report generator wizard. The hub and associated software may producereports, as discussed hereinthroughout. Reports may be generated basedon campaigns, or for multiple campaigns. These reports may be regardedas workflows and may have alerts and notifications. An alert may providea correspondence associated with a report being complete, or with areport setting forth certain flagged information, for example. Further,these reports and alerts may be input back into the hub and campaign,such that the reports and alerts provide information on which to modifysubsequent campaigns in order to determine or increase the effectivenessof the use of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 28, there is shown a window for selecting a reportwithin the report generator wizard. This window provides the user withthe option of selecting from the available reports to be generated. Oncea report is selected, the system may run the necessary steps to generatethe report. Reports may also be generated automatically, or inaccordance with the terms of a campaign, for example. For example, aswith all mechanisms within a campaign, a report may be triggered by a“trigger event”, for which scripts running at the input or output of thehub are monitored.

For example, a dynamic radio data system developed in accordance withthe present invention may enable radio stations, such as analog FM radiostations, for example, to dynamically broadcast text to be displayed onspecifically enabled RDS receivers, a standard feature prevalent in thenew car industry, as discussed hereinabove. Recipients may receive andview dynamic and targeted text broadcasts on their respective radiodisplays, including such data as song and artist information, news,traffic, weather, station events, customized content, andadvertisements, for example, thereby providing rich and compellingcontent for consumers and a high-margin revenue stream for radio groups.With reference now to FIG. 29, there is shown a specific embodiment ofsuch a radio system. In particular, there may be and associated orsub-system of the present invention designed to deliver greetings torecipients in their respective cars via the radio display, such as viaRDS. The present invention interconnects each radio station to eachavailable RDS radio in a given market with spectrum inventory, such asnews, weather, and advertising. Further, there are also a host ofadditional available data feeds, including station play lists, that maybe added to the system in real time. Also, as described hereinabove, anadvertiser or promoter, station or group, or content provider may targetthe RDS campaign and insert content to be transmitted to the radioreceiver. After collecting all of the information and appropriatelysuperimposing the necessary signals, a campaign may be created,including the distribution of the data feed to the proper FM station.Based on the content of the data information, the station selected, andthe content of the station, the system may broadcast the content at theproper time to coincide with the FM signal.

In this embodiment of the present invention, a listener may, forexample, select a station. A message relevant to that station may beentered to the hub. This message may take many forms, such as visual,voice, or text, for example. For the sake of simplicity, a text messagemay describe hereinbelow, but those skilled in the art may realize thatother formats of messages may be used and delivered. In the text messageformat, the user may type in the message to be delivered, and makerelevant purchase selections, such as selecting to buy a one timeservice or buying a package accommodation or a certain number ofrepetitions. After entering the message, the user may select a time andlocal to display the message, and may enter relevant recipientinformation, such as a name. As may be evident to one possessing anordinary skill in the pertinent arts, the listener, selector, andrecipient may be the same individual, or may be multiple individuals.The message may then be delivered as described hereinabove to thelistener that had selected the station or stations over which the userhas selected the message to be broadcast.

More particularly, with respect to personal greetings, advertising, orthe like, the user may select a number of repetitions, a time forrepetitions, or the like. A user may further place a weight upon themessage or ad, such as by paying in accordance to the weight the userdesires to be accorded to the message or ad. Alternatively, weights maybe assigned, for example, on a first come, first served basis. Messagesor ads having greater weight than other messages or ads may outweighother messages targeting the same device, at the same time, and hencemay receive priority delivery over those lesser-weighted messages orads.

An additional exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides,for example, for the purchase or songs or albums as those songs arebeing played over, for example, a radio station, or as a video isplaying via a television. As a recipient listens to the radio in thecar, or some alternative place of listening or viewing, the recipientmay particularly favor a particular song heard or viewed. If therecipient determines that the recipient would like to purchase the songor album in some form such as vinyl, compact disk, or mpeg, ordetermines that the song is from a movie and wishes to get the movie onDVD or VHS, for example, the recipient may dial in to the hub using acomputer, cell phone or other data transmission device, enter thestation name or call number, and attempt to buy the song that was justaired. The recipient may scroll through the last several songs if, forexample, the call is not immediately placed following the airing of thedesired song. The appropriate geographic location in which the desiredsong was aired may be determined by the hub by, for example, determiningthe location of emanation of the call. For example, it may be determinedthat the Los Angeles area is the recipient location, either based on theradio stations entered or based on the number that the call was madefrom. In order to prevent errors in determining location, a locationmechanism may be used, such as GPS on the cell phone, for example.Alternatively, the recipient may enter information by keying it in fortransmission, as is known to those possessing an ordinary skill in thepertinent arts. After the initial startup, the recipient may beidentified as an experienced user, such as by a login assigned on thefirst use, and therefore shorten the ordering and/or payment process.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the system of thepresent invention may additionally be utilized with the OnStar system,or with the 911 emergency system as discussed hereinabove. For example,if used with OnStar, the user may need a tow truck for a disabledvehicle, and may accordingly contact the hub via an input, such as theOnStar. The hub may apply business logic to the user request, and maygenerate via the output calls, or other types of contact, to a series oftow trucks, such as five companies, for example, and query if any areable to tow from a specified location, namely the address of thedisabled vehicle, within an allotted period of time, such as 20 minutes,for example. If the truck is able to accommodate the request, the truckor dispatcher may enter a “1” to enter a bid, such as to the input ofthe hub. In addition, OnStar may provide an input of more specific oradditional information regarding the vehicle and a crash, such as extentof vehicle damage which may correlate to extent of driver injury and theneed for emergency response personnel. The system may additionallyaccept as data the amount of damage to the vehicle based on the speed ofthe crash, the location of the crash, and the like. Further, the systemmay be able to pull, such as from the internet, comparatives of how badpeople are likely hurt, how fast an ambulance may be needed, and whichnearby hospitals offer the best type of care for the probable injuries,based on the input to the hub, and the logic decisions of the hub.

In an additional exemplary embodiment of the present invention,sweepstakes and giveaways may be provided for by the present invention.For example, a prize may be awarded to every caller or every Xth caller,such as every 100^(th) caller, 1000^(th) caller, etc., by a radiostation. The radio station would thus enter, via the inputs, informationon each call received by the radio station, such as by providing, as aninput to the hub, tracking information of that radio station's web site,or by providing access to the radio station telephone system as an inputto the hub. The hub may then apply the input business logic, such astracking the number of calls until the flagged number is reached, and,upon reaching that flagged number, the hub may output to the station thenotification that the current, or the next, caller is a winner, and anotification of what prize has been won. Alternatively, as may beapparent to those skilled in the art, every third time the weather isannounced by the station, it may be brought to the listener by asponsor. Such sponsorship may be similarly tracked to the giveawayembodiment discussed immediately hereinabove.

Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many modificationsand variations of the present invention may be implemented withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention covers the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A system for broadcasting advertisements to a plurality of users, thesystem comprising: a data store adapted to store information about aplurality of time slots for broadcasting advertisements by one or moreradio stations; a user interface module adapted to receive anadvertisement for broadcasting and one or more user-selected criteriaaccording to which to broadcast the advertisement; and a server systemadapted to automatically select one or more of the plurality of timeslots for broadcasting the advertisement according to the one or moreuser-selected criteria and to electronically transmit the advertisementto the one or more radio stations for the selected time slot in realtime.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more user-selectedcriteria comprises at least one of a number of listeners of a radiostation, a strength of a signal of a radio station, demographics oflisteners of a radio station, time of a day for playing anadvertisement, and a type of a radio station.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the server system is adapted to transmit the advertisement to adigital automated system at the radio station.
 4. The system of claim 1,wherein the advertisement is an audio file.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the advertisement is a text file.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the radio station is an AM radio station.
 7. The system of claim1, wherein the radio station is an FM radio station.
 8. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the radio station is a digital radio station.
 9. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the radio station is a satellite radiostation.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface module isfurther adapted to receive a selection of devices for broadcasting theadvertisement.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the device is a radiodata system (RDS) receiver.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein thedevice is an AM receiver.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the deviceis an FM receiver.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interfacemodule is further adapted to receive, from the one or more radiostations, a minimum acceptable price for broadcasting an advertisement.15. The system of claim 1, wherein the server system is further adaptedto determine an advertisement price according to at least one ofpopularity of the radio station, date of broadcasting, and time ofbroadcasting.
 16. A method for broadcasting advertisements to aplurality of users, the method comprising: storing information about aplurality of time slots for broadcasting advertisements by one or moreradio stations; receiving an advertisement for broadcasting and one ormore user-selected criteria according to which to broadcast theadvertisement; automatically selecting one or more of the plurality oftime slots for broadcasting the advertisement according to the one ormore user-selected criteria; and electronically transmitting theadvertisement to the one or more radio stations for the selected timeslot in real time.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or moreuser-selected criteria comprises at least one of a number of listenersof a radio station, a strength of a signal of a radio station,demographics of listeners of a radio station, time of a day for playingan advertisement, and a type of a radio station.
 18. The method of claim16, wherein the advertisement is an audio file.
 19. The method of claim16, further comprising receiving a selection of radio receiving devicesfor broadcasting the advertisement.
 20. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising receiving, from the one or more radio stations, a minimumacceptable price for broadcasting an advertisement.
 21. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising determining an advertisement priceaccording to at least one of popularity of the radio station, date ofbroadcasting, and time of broadcasting.
 22. A computer program productcomprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer programcode embodied therein for broadcasting advertisements to a plurality ofusers, the computer program code adapted to: store information about aplurality of time slots for broadcasting advertisements by one or moreradio stations; receive an advertisement for broadcasting and one ormore user-selected criteria according to which to broadcast theadvertisement; automatically select one or more of the plurality of timeslots for broadcasting the advertisement according to the one or moreuser-selected criteria; and electronically transmit the advertisement tothe one or more radio stations for the selected time slot in real time.23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the one or moreuser-selected criteria comprises at least one of a number of listenersof a radio station, a strength of a signal of a radio station,demographics of listeners of a radio station, time of a day for playingan advertisement, and a type of a radio station.
 24. The computerprogram product of claim 22, wherein the advertisement is an audio file.25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the computerprogram code is further adapted to receive a selection of radioreceiving devices for broadcasting the advertisement.
 26. The computerprogram product of claim 22, wherein the computer program code isfurther adapted to receive, from the one or more radio stations, aminimum acceptable price for broadcasting an advertisement.
 27. Thecomputer program product of claim 22, wherein the computer program codeis further adapted to determine an advertisement price according to atleast one of popularity of the radio station, date of broadcasting, andtime of broadcasting.
 28. A system for broadcasting advertisements to aplurality of users, the system comprising: a data store adapted to storeinformation about a plurality of time slots for broadcastingadvertisements by one or more radio stations; a user interface moduleadapted to receive an advertisement for broadcasting and one or moreuser-selected criteria according to which to broadcast theadvertisement; and a server system adapted to transmit advertisements toone or more radio stations, and to automatically select in real time oneor more of the plurality of time slots for broadcasting theadvertisement according to the one or more user-selected criteria, andto electronically transmit to a radio station an indication of theselected time slot for broadcasting the advertisement.
 29. The system ofclaim 28, wherein the one or more user-selected criteria comprises atleast one of a number of listeners of a radio station, a strength of asignal of a radio station, demographics of listeners of a radio station,time of a day for playing an advertisement, and a type of a radiostation.
 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the advertisement is anaudio file.
 31. The system of claim 28, wherein the user interfacemodule is further adapted to receive a selection of radio receivingdevices for broadcasting the advertisement.
 32. The system of claim 28,wherein the user interface module is further adapted to receive, fromthe one or more radio stations, a minimum acceptable price forbroadcasting an advertisement.
 33. The system of claim 28, wherein theserver system is further adapted to determine an advertisement priceaccording to at least one of popularity of the radio station, date ofbroadcasting, and time of broadcasting.
 34. A method for broadcastingadvertisements to a plurality of users, the method comprising: storinginformation about a plurality of time slots for broadcastingadvertisements by one or more radio stations; electronicallytransmitting to one or more of the radio stations advertisements forbroadcasting; receiving an advertisement for broadcasting and one ormore user-selected criteria according to which to broadcast theadvertisement; automatically selecting in real time one or more of theplurality of time slots for broadcasting the advertisement according tothe one or more user-selected criteria; and electronically transmitting,to a radio station, an indication of the selected time slot forbroadcasting the advertisement.
 35. The method of claim 34, wherein theone or more user-selected criteria comprises at least one of a number oflisteners of a radio station, a strength of a signal of a radio station,demographics of listeners of a radio station, time of a day for playingan advertisement, and a type of a radio station.
 36. The method of claim34, wherein the advertisement is an audio file.
 37. The method of claim34, further comprising receiving a selection of radio receiving devicesfor broadcasting the advertisement.
 38. The method of claim 34, furthercomprising receiving, from the one or more radio stations, a minimumacceptable price for broadcasting an advertisement.
 39. The method ofclaim 34, further comprising determining an advertisement priceaccording to at least one of popularity of the radio station, date ofbroadcasting, and time of broadcasting.
 40. A computer program productcomprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer programcode embodied therein for broadcasting advertisements to a plurality ofusers, the computer program code adapted to: store information about aplurality of time slots for broadcasting advertisements by one or moreradio stations; electronically transmit to one or more radio stationsadvertisements for broadcasting; receive an advertisement forbroadcasting and one or more user-selected criteria according to whichto broadcast the advertisement; automatically select in real time one ormore of the plurality of time slots for broadcasting the advertisementaccording to the one or more user-selected criteria; and electronicallytransmit, to a radio station, an indication of the selected time slotfor broadcasting the advertisement.
 41. The computer program product ofclaim 40, wherein the one or more user-selected criteria comprises atleast one of a number of listeners of a radio station, a strength of asignal of a radio station, demographics of listeners of a radio station,time of a day for playing an advertisement, and a type of a radiostation.
 42. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein theadvertisement is an audio file.
 43. The computer program product ofclaim 40, wherein the computer program code is further to receive aselection of radio receiving devices for broadcasting the advertisement.44. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the computerprogram code is further adapted to receive, from the one or more radiostations, a minimum acceptable price for broadcasting an advertisement.45. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the computerprogram code is further adapted to determine an advertisement priceaccording to at least one of popularity of the radio station, date ofbroadcasting, and time of broadcasting.